Space combat games such as the Wing Commander and FreeSpace series were hugely popular in the 1990s, especially among PC gamers. However the space combat genre has since turned into a niche market handled by smaller developers. Today the new Austin, Texas based game developer Seamless Entertainment officially announced plans to release SOL: Exodus. The team behind this upcoming downloadable space combat game admits to being inspired by the great space shooter titles that were first released nearly 20 years ago.

According to today's press release, SOL Exodus will feature "epic space battles featuring enormous capital ships, hordes of spacecraft and beautifully rendered planetary battlegrounds in an action-packed presentation reminiscent of iconic sci-fi TV shows and movies." The game itself is being powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine. SOL: Exodus is set inside our solar system as the player character pilots a "multi-purpose tactical fighter." The game will also feature the player being helped by wingmen as they battle enemy ships around Saturn, Jupiter and other locations.

Specific platforms for SOL: Exodus have yet to be announced but Seamless Entertainment plans to release the game via download sometime in the fall of 2011. There's no word yet if the game will feature multiplayer options. However the press release promises that the game will have the player get access to "unique special abilities for added mission depth and interactivity." There is a teaser trailer for SOL Exodus that you can check out now at the game's official web site.